Michael kaufmann



(No Model.)

M. KAUFMANN.

REVOLVING FIRE ARM.

Patented Apr. 30

W'i'inms es N. PETERS. Phalw'mlw hm. Washington. D. c.

NlTED STATES ATENT Fries.

MICHAEL KAUFMANN, OF GREENWICH, COUNTY OF KENT, ENGLAND.

REVOLVING FIRE-ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,331,'da.ted April30, 1889. Application filed May 9, 1888. Sen'al No. 273,305. (No model.)Patented in Belgium November 22, 1887, No. 79,640.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHAEL KAUFMANN, gentleman, at present residing at8 Devon shire Road, Greenwich, in the county of Kent, England, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Arms, (for which I haveobtained Letters Patent in the following country, namely, Belgium, datedNovember 22, 1887, No. 79,640,) of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved lockin gdevice for the barrels ofrevolving pistols and carbines.

The object of the invention is to provide a locking device whereby thebarrel will be securely retained in firing position when dischargingheavily-loaded cartridges, and which is easily operated for the purposeof unclosing the breech end of the chambers of the revolver or thebarrel of the gun for extracting the spent cartridges and reloading.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, wherein Figure 1 is a side view of part of arevolver, the cylinder being omitted and the locking device being in thelocked position. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional rear view of the frame.Fig. 3 is a top view of the tail-piece or strap of the barrel, thelocking device being shown in the open position; and Fig. 4 is an endview thereof. Fig. 5 is a side view of the locking device and the leverby which it is operated, viewed from the opposite side to that shown inFig. 1, and showing the connection between the lever and locking device.Fig. 6 is a face view of the acting part of the locking device, and Fig.7 an under side view thereof. Fig. 8 shows the revolver-frame, thebarrel being in the tilted position, the locking device being slightlymodified and shown in the open position, as viewed from the oppositeside to- Fig. 1. 0r strap.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

a is the barrel strap or tail-piece, and b the locking-bolt pivoted on avertical axis, 0, at one side of the frame cl, the locking=bolt mov= ingover the top of the frame d in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axisof the barrel when in the firing position, and perpendicu- Fig. 9 is atop view of the tail-piece lar to the plane in which the tail-piecemoves when the barrel is tilted on its axis 6.

The rear end of the tail-piece a is notched or rabbeted, as shown at f,and when in the normal position rests upon the top of the frame d, andthe locking device 1) lies in the notch or rabbet f, and so holds thetail-piece securely locked. In order to lock the tailpiece laterally, acentral lug, g, formed in one with the frame d, is received in a centralaperture, h, made through the end of the tailpiece, and in order toprevent strain on the axis 0 of the locking device this lug g is notchedor undercut at g to receive a lug, b, projecting from the front or innerface of the locking device I), which enters through a correspondingaperture formed in the vertical wall of the rabbet f, so that thelocking-bolt bengages both with the tail-piece a and the lug Tidescrew-pin c, on which the locking-bolt b swings, is screwed into asocket or ear, 0', formed on the frame, and the locking-bolt is operatedby a thumb-lever, 7c, pivoted at Z on an axis at right angles to theaxis 0 of the locking device, the lever is working alongside of theleft-hand lock-plate in position to be readily operated by the thumb ofthe right hand. The upper end of said lever passes up between the ear 0and the lock-plate andengages with the boss of the locking-bolt b bynotch m in the end of the lever, receiving a heel or lug, 11, left orformed by cutting notches 0 p in the under side of the said boss, inwhich notches the lugs at either side of the notch m are received. Thelug n is situated at a point near the axis 0 and intermediate thereofand of the locking part of the bolt, so that a slight oscillation of thelever 70 on its axis will produce a considerable angular motion of thelocking-bolt b about its center 0. I would observe, however, that therelative positions of the lug n and notch we may be reversed. The leveris is acted on by a strong two-armed spring, q, lodged in a cavity, 0",in the frame and bearing against the lever near its pivot, whereby thelocking-bolt is normally thrown into position for engagement with thenotched lug g and the tail-piece a, if the latter be in its normalposition. The end of the tail-piece a moves in an arc of a circle aboutthe center e, and the rear face of the aperture h is inclinedtangentially to said arc, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, and isintersected by the rabbet f in thetail-piece in order to permit of thelug b of the locking-bolt engaging with the notched lug g, as abovementioned.

In the act of returning the barrel, when tilted, to its normal or lockedposition, it is not necessary to act on the thumb-lever k for thepurpose of throwing back the lockingbolt 11, as the extreme end of thetail-piece, moving in an arc of a circle, as above mentioned, will meetthe front face of the bolt Z) and force it back, thereby permitting theparts to snap into engagement.

The difference between the two arrangements shown in the drawings isthat in Figs. 8 and 9 the end of the tail-piece a has a sim ple rabbet,f, which is filled up by the locking-bolt 1), whereas in Figs. 1 to 6the rabbet is partly overhung by a lip, a, formed on the tail-piece, acorresponding recess, 19 being cut in the top of the locking-bolt toreceive it; but this lip is entirely inoperative, and, being rounded,merely serves, like the rounded back of the bolt 1), to give a smoothfinish to the parts. Another slight difference is that whereas in theone case the lug or flange 1) on the locking-bolt is only of a lengthcorresponding to the width of the lug g, in the other it extends to thefree end of the bolt 17, the vertical face of the rabbet f beingundercut to receive it; but neither of these changes in detail in anyway affects the locking action.

In revolvers having a removable lock-plate the thumb-lever may be rule-jointed, in order that it may be turned up, as shown in dotted lines inFig. 1, for the purpose of permitting the removal of the lock-plate togive access to the look without dismounting the lever is. The lever 70may be dispensed with, the locking-bolt being in that case thrown backby the thumb acting on its free end, in which case it may be preferableto pivot the locking-bolt at the right-hand side.

IIaving now particular described and ascertained the nature of the saidinvention and in What manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is- 1. In a revolving fire-arm, the combination of thesupporting-frame having a notched or undercut lug, a tilting barrelprovided with a recessed tail-piece or strap fitting over said lug, anda pivoted and laterallyswinging locking-bolt adapted to engage thenotched lug and recessed tail-piece, substantially as set forth.

2. In a revolving firearm having a tilting barrel provided with areamvardly-extending tail-piece or strap, the combination, with therabbeted or grooved and slotted butt-end of the tail-piece, of thenotched lug on the frame fitting in the slot of the tail-piece and ofthe locking-bolt, so pivoted as to move in a plane parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the barrel, and perpendicular to the plane in whichthe barrel moves, said pivoted bolt being adapted to engage in thegrooved or rabbeted end of the tailpiece, and to engage at the same timein the notch of the lug on the frame, substantially as specified.

3. In a revolving fire-arm, the combination, with a locking-bolt pivotedon a vertical axis at one side of the frame of the weapon, of athumb-lever pivoted on an axis at right angles to the axis of thelocking-bolt, and engaging at its upper end with said locking-bolt nearits axis by a lug on the one received in a notch in the other, asspecified,whereby motion of the thumb-lever on its axis will betransmitted to the locking-bolt, in the manner described.

4:. In a fire-arm, the combination, with a locking-bolt pivoted on avertical axis at one side of the frame of the weapon, of a thumbleverpivoted on an axis at right angles to the axis of the locking-bolt, andengaging therewith bya lug and notch for transmitting motion, asdescribed, and of a spring contained in a cavity in the frame and actingon the thumb-lever, as described.

5. In a fire-arm, the combination, with the tail-piece a, having thesloth, and the rabbeted or grooved butt-end f, of the lug g on theframe, having the notch g, the lockingbolt 19, adapted to lie in thegroove or rabbet f, and having the lug 1), adapted to engage in thenotch g, the bolt 1) being pivoted on the axis 0 at one side of theframe and moving in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of thebarrel and perpendicular to the plane in which the tail-piece moves, anda thumblever, 70, engaging with the locking-bolt b by a notch, m, andlug n, and a spring, q, the

whole combined for operation, substantially as specified.

The foregoing specification of my improvements in fire-arms signed by methis 17th day of December, 1887.

MICHAEL KAUFMANN.

Witnesses:

WALTER J. SKERTEN,

GEO. J. B. FRANKLIN, Both of 17 Graccchurch Street, London, E. C.

